SCOTLAND is to introduce the free world’s most intrusive computer database of personal details, with every citizen being logged and monitored from “cradle to grave”.

Scotland is to introduce a hugely intrusive computer database of personal details

Furious critics yesterday accused the SNP Government of introducing ID cards “without the plastic” and said there was a real risk that data would be lost or misused.

Ministers say the aim of the project is to turn millions of ordinary Scots into human guinea pigs for researchers to study, bringing in investment and jobs at the expense of civil liberties.

Steering groups set up to oversee the project have been warned that most people are opposed to the idea but have vowed to plough ahead regardless.

The Data Sharing and Linking Service (DSLS) is on track to begin operating by December – despite the vast majority of the public being unaware of the plans.

At the heart of the enterprise is the Linking Population Spine, which will hold “the name, date of birth, gender and postcode for everyone in Scotland”.

According to NHS Research Scotland, this snoopers’ treasure trove will boast “cradle to grave” health records, including maternity, mental health, cancer, GP and even dental notes.

The new education, childhood and parenting profiles highlighted by this newspaper in recent weeks will also be stored.

Following our original exposé, the Engage for Education quango stated categorically: “There is no national central database – this is a myth.”

However, the DSLS – which is clearly NOT a myth – will also include social care, housing and justice statistics, as well as information from the 2011 Scottish Census.

The Census had questions on areas such as financial and salary details, religious and sexual orientation, relationships and family life.

According to minutes of meetings of the “Data Linkages Operations Group”, the hoard will even include details of “vulnerable children” and “genomics” – or DNA records.

Nick Pickles, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, yesterday described the database as “an identity card system without the piece of plastic”.

He added: “This is an unprecedented effort to open up our personal information to huge numbers of people across the public sector by joining up lots of separate databases to the point they might as well be one enormous database.

We may live in tough times, but that’s no justification to sell-out the privacy of Scots for a short term gain

Nick Pickles, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch

“We may live in tough times, but that’s no justification to sell-out the privacy of Scots for a short term gain or in the hope that companies are going to pay for the chance to use the country as a massive research lab. Sadly many parts of the public sector have a dubious record when it comes to protecting this kind of information and I’m afraid it is going to lead to some harrowing intrusions on people’s privacy.”

Mairi Clare Rodgers, director of media relations for Liberty, added: “Plans to access highly personal details via a large, unwieldy centralised database raise major concerns – these proposals fail to even mention ‘consent’ and without proper safeguards there’s a real risk data will be lost or misused.”

Last year, Ipsos MORI was commissioned to test the “public acceptability” of the proposals – and the results were then ignored.

The pollsters, working with experts from the University of Edinburgh, found concerns about the encroachment of the “Big Brother society”.

There were also fears that personal details could be lost, abused by other public bodies or end up in commercial hands.

Most said that consent should be given before a person is placed on the database – however, this was deemed to be “not appropriate”.

The “vision” behind the plan is that: “Scotland will be recognised the world over as a hub of innovative and powerful statistical research, attracting investment and job creation.”

If a research project – whether commercial, scientific or academic – is deemed to be “legal, ethical and in the public interest”, then it will be given masses of “anonymous” data to study.

As a safeguard, the government is planning to set up a Privacy Advisory and Ethics Committee to oversee the database.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Data Sharing and Linkage Service will help by providing researchers with secure access to anonymous data. This government is committed to improving Scotland’s public services.

“Over the past few years we have been working together with our partners to use data that already exists in a way that is efficient, safe and secure and is fully respectful of people’s privacy.”